Renewable energy for carbon footprint reduction of green geopolymers material’s production for built-environment

Abstract

By replacing regular cement and recycling trash, construction and demolition waste (CDW)-based geopolymers are anticipated to reduce the environmental consequences of the construction sector. However, the preparation of the CDW-based geopolymers involves energy-intensive mechanical, thermal, and chemical processes. Hence, it is critical to quantify its environmental effects in the development phase and suggest substitute sustainable energy options. This study performs the ecological sustainability of newly developed CDW-based materials, identifies its energy hotspots, and analyses the feasibility of photovoltaics, geothermal, wind, biomass, and hydro-based renewable energy resources to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the developed product. The study identified the required electrical energy for CDW crushing and grinding as a hotspot with significant environmental impacts. The study analysed the feasibility of photovoltaics, geothermal, wind, biomass, and hydro-based renewable energy resources to reduce the carbon footprint. Since energy contributes more than 60% to the GWP, AP, EP, and Ecotox Air, a sensitivity analysis is done using various renewable electricity sources.

Keywords

• Geopolymer
• Renewable energy systems
• Construction and demolition waste (CDW)
• Life cycle assessment (LCA)